Trust part 1

I woke up to find only two notifications. I fell into deep thought. I had five diary holders—so why was I receiving only two notifications?

After a thorough question-and-answer session with the system, I realized that diary holders who had crossed a 90% trust level would only provide me with talents, abilities, or other summoned powers when they reached the 100% mark. Yesterday, I had only written about Wanda and Nagini, so it was obvious that not much would change for Hermione. As for Harry and Ariana, both had crossed the 90% trust level in me. However, only when they reached 100% would they grant me talents, abilities, or summoned creatures.

[ Ding! Congratulations on fooling Albus Dumbledore. Trust rate: 60%. Pokémon acquired: Victini. ]

[ Ding! Congratulations on fooling Nagini. Trust rate: 60%. Quetzalcoatl (infant) acquired. ]

I had already expected that increasing Dumbledore's trust in me would be difficult, but how could Nagini not trust me? Never mind—I needed to perform some divination about the Dark Dimension worshippers and present my findings to Dumbledore.

After donating money to the orphanage, I returned home. To be honest, I really wanted to visit Hogwarts. Every Harry Potter fan would be excited to see the real Hogwarts, after all. Moreover, I had my own Phoenix, so traveling there wouldn't be a problem.

Seeing no one at home, I wrote a letter explaining that I needed to show a divination to Grandpa Albus and was heading to Hogwarts. Then, mounting Arcanine and holding Victini and Ghidorah (my name for Quetzalcoatl) in my arms, Ho-Oh teleported us straight to Hogwarts.

A sudden flash forced me to shut my eyes. When I opened them, I found myself in a room filled with cauldrons. The rich aroma of medicinal herbs lingered in the air, while cupboards lining the walls held strange specimens and exotic plants.

I realized—I had teleported straight into the Hogwarts Potions classroom.

The entire class had gone silent, staring at me in surprise. Before I could greet them, a cold voice startled me.

"Why are you here?"

I turned to see Professor Snape standing behind me.

"Oh! I've seen you before!" I exclaimed, quickly slipping into character as an excited child. "You were with Grandpa Albus yesterday! I had a dream and wanted to talk to him, but for some reason, he isn't replying to my letter. So, I asked Ho-Oh to bring me to Hogwarts. Oh! And these are my friends. This is Arcanine..."

I began introducing my companions one by one.

"Alex, take care of the class. I want absolute silence," Snape ordered, his voice low, cool, and measured. I nearly had to suppress my inner fan from applauding his iconic delivery.

He turned back to me. "Come with me, Cain. And bring your friends along."

His voice, though still controlled, carried a hint of warmth.

As I reached him, I instinctively took his hand. He stiffened and looked at me strangely, but I simply said, "Grandma Queenie always told me to hold hands when walking through unfamiliar places."

Surprisingly, he didn't take me directly to the Headmaster's office. Instead, he gave me a tour of the Hogwarts castle.

"It's not that I don't want to take you to his office," he explained as we made our way through the corridors. "Professor Dumbledore is currently at the Ministry of Magic. I thought I'd give you a tour in the meantime."

He led me through the library, the common rooms, and even introduced me to some of the famous portraits. While I already had a general idea of Hogwarts from the movies, seeing it in person made it all feel so much more real.

"Grandpa Albus told me Hogwarts is on vacation. Why are there still students here?" I asked as we walked toward the Great Hall for lunch.

"They are not Hogwarts students," Snape replied. "They are graduates. Some of them are involved in research and analysis. During vacations, they continue their work here."

His explanation made sense. This was the real world, after all, not just the simplified version seen in the movies.

Inside the Great Hall, I saw only a handful of people dining. Among the professors, I recognized Professor Flitwick, whom I had met earlier during Snape's tour. The moment he saw me, his expression shifted to one of recognition.

That confirmed my suspicion—Dumbledore had already spoken to them about me. But what exactly had he told them?

Pushing that thought aside, I pointed at the tables and asked, "Wow! Are these magic tables? I saw that student tap on the table, and food appeared!"

Snape answered, "These tables are connected to the kitchen, where house elves prepare our meals. Whisper your order close to the table, and they will make it for you. If you're not particular, simply tap on the table, and the set menu will appear."

This new knowledge fascinated me.

"Professor Snape, how is he—? I mean, hello, child. Did Professor Dumbledore bring you to Hogwarts?"

Professor Pomona had almost blurted out something she wasn't supposed to say. Before I could respond, Snape answered for me.

Sitting at the professors' table might have embarrassed some children, but not me. With my smaller height and my habit of acting like a young child, I had no issue doing things that others might find unusual. Besides, I was here to experience Hogwarts to the fullest.

As I finished my lunch, I saw a Phoenix Patronus appear in the Great Hall.

"Cain, let's go. Professor Dumbledore is back," I heard Professor Sprout say. Hearing this, I looked at Professor Snape. He stiffened when he saw me looking at him.

"I have some work. She will take you to his office," he said. However, instead of his usual cold sarcasm, his tone was surprisingly neutral. All the professors around us paused in what they were doing, visibly surprised.

"Okay, but don't forget to come later," I said. Only after seeing him nod did I take Professor Sprout's hand.

When we reached the entrance to the Headmaster's office, I saw the stone gargoyle standing guard. As soon as Professor Sprout spoke the password, the entrance opened. The office was a circular room bathed in the soft glow of countless portraits. Delicate silver instruments whirred and puffed on spindly tables, casting dancing shadows. A large, ornate desk stood in the center, cluttered with parchment and peculiar objects. Shelves overflowed with ancient tomes, and a grand window offered breathtaking views of the Hogwarts grounds. A Pensieve shimmered with silvery memories, hinting at the room's deep history and secrets. The air hummed with quiet magic and profound wisdom.

The only living creature present was Fawkes, perched on his stand. As soon as we entered, the majestic phoenix flew down and bowed in front of Ho-Oh. Professor Sprout gasped in surprise.

"Little Jam, what brings you to Hogwarts to meet me?" Professor Dumbledore asked as he entered.

"I had a vision in my dream," I said hurriedly. "There were wizards and witches covered in purple and black markings. Their eyes were completely black, and corrupted energy flowed through their bodies. They plan to capture Nagini—she's not just a snake, she was once human. They want to use her to bring their master back to Earth."

Dumbledore waved his hand, and a suitcase flew onto his desk. As he opened it, a large snake slithered out—Nagini. Professor Sprout immediately pulled me back and raised her wand defensively.

"Don't worry, Professor Sprout," Dumbledore said calmly. "As you can see, this snake exhibits human-like emotions. A friend of mine foresaw the same vision, so I took action and captured her before they even realized she was missing. You may call the other—"

I barely heard the rest of his words. My knowledge of the occult rang loudly in my mind. I could heal her.

"She can be healed!" I shouted in excitement, only to realize that apart from Professor Sprout, the other three Heads of Houses were also present in the office.

"What do we need?" Dumbledore asked, his eyes twinkling with curiosity.

"Grandpa Albus, I need a mirror, a place once inhabited by a unicorn, some leaves of the Zukai plant…" I listed a few more ingredients.

"Professor Snape might have some—"

Before Dumbledore could finish, Snape had already turned and left the office. Seeing my confusion, Professor Flitwick chuckled. "He's gone to fetch the materials."

Now, we stood in an open field behind Hogwarts. The Forbidden Forest loomed nearby, and the Black Lake stretched beside us. I meticulously drew the ritual circles on the ground, the most difficult part being the intricate sigils that adorned them. Once everything was ready, I stood and looked at the sky, the sun hanging over the horizon while the moon lingered above.

"Nagini, step into the circle," I instructed.

She obeyed, slithering into position. Without hesitation, I placed the mirror in front of her. Then, stepping behind it, I laid one hand against the glass while conjuring a fireball with the other. Exhaling deeply, I began the incantation:

"Libera te tutemet ex inferis, Sic transit gloria mundi, De profundis clamavi ad te, Domine…"

Unbeknownst to me, as I chanted, my eyes turned an eerie shade of blue, and dark Purple energy—the obscurus—began seeping from my body.

I shouldn't have agreed to Cain's proposal. But as I watched him perform the ritual, I realized he only wanted to protect people. What right did I have to doubt him? I felt ashamed of my distrust. I can't help but feel ashamed of always remaining suspicious of Cain. Today in the Albanian Forest I did find the so called worshippers mentioned in the diary. They were emotionless, with total black sunken eyes. They had an eerie dark energy on their body. Seeing them I realised... Cain said the truth. So I immediately brought Nagini back.

"Dumbledore, his obscurus—" Snape started, but before he could finish, Arcanine let out a low growl toward the Forbidden Forest. Cain's other creatures turned in the same direction, tense and alert. Then, an unforgettable sight unfolded before us.

A herd of unicorns emerged from the forest and approached Cain's phoenix, Ho-Oh. They bent their heads in reverence before the magnificent bird. Only after hearing Ho-Oh's approving chirp did they relax. Before I could ask Fawkes what was happening, a piercing cry echoed through the air.

I turned back just in time to see Nagini changing—her serpentine form unraveling into human limbs. Blood and deep gashes marred her body. As the transformation neared completion, Cain's obscurus raged wildly, the dark energy attacking the mirror. Then, with a resounding crash, the mirror shattered. A phantom serpent head rose from the shards before vanishing into thin air.

Professor McGonagall and Professor Sprout moved to approach Nagini, but the remnants of the obscurus held them back. As the last tendrils of dark energy dissipated, Cain collapsed to the ground.

Suddenly, the unicorn leader stepped forward, lowering its horn to touch Cain's forehead. A soft silver light glowed at the point of contact before fading into his body.

Fawkes let out a series of melodic chirps. Understanding the message, I quickly moved forward, lifting Cain into my arms.

For the first time, I felt genuine happiness as I looked at his unconscious face. But now I was worried how to explain Tina and Queenie.